#MyFirstSevenJobs Kathy Dyer And Chris Ahearn

by David Brock on September 17th, 2016

There’s a series going around the web about people’s First Seven Jobs. It’s been fun and fascinating to see the very first jobs people held. There’s a diverse selection of people’s first seven jobs here, Fred Wilson, Brad Feld, and Keenan.

It’s actually a huge amount of fun–first thinking about your own, reflecting on what they meant to you (privately) and seeing others’ experience. Consequently, I’ve invited a huge number of people of diverse backgrounds, ages, and locations, to share their first 7 jobs. I’ll be posting them weekly, usually on Sundays. Feel free to join in, send your first seven jobs to me by email (dabrock@excellenc.com). I’ll post them in the order I get them.

This week, we have two more fascinating people, Kathy Dyer and Chris Ahearn

Engineering Aid- Yuma Proving Ground- largest environmental testing facility in the world at the time(may still be); run by US Army and used by us and our allies to test equipment in extreme environmental conditions.

Operating System Programmer on NCR Century series mainframes. Developed ‘disc verify’ error routines for disc peripherals. This was back when the only computers were in locked computer rooms with raised floors.

Software Development Manager for communications software for front ends to NCR mainframes.
Program Manager– communications solutions for financial industry customers- NCR Comten.
NCR District Sales Manager in NYC for single account district – NCR’s largest single Financial account in the world at the time–Manufacturers Hanover Bank. Manny Hanny long since been absorbed into Chemical bank which was then absorbed into Chase.

Share this:

1. Summer time as a 9-10 year old: Packed grocery bags for shoppers at the local grocery store for tips nickels, dines, quarters and would get more if they’d let me wheel the cart and help transfer the grocery bags into their car.

2. Winters in New York were dicey, icy too. I bought a snow shelve with my summer job and would walk to small mom and pop shops near our apartment, actually would go over a mile away from home (don’t tell my mother;) and ask to shelve driveways and side walks. If they said yes to both, I’d shelve the path from the mailbox to their front doors for free…always repeat customers☺ I’d make from $1.00 for small jobs and upwards of $20.00 for the biggest jobs.

3. Bicycle repairs…my favorite bike to repair were choppers. Thought they were so cool back in the day. My economics were a bit off; I just charged a flat fee of $5.00 regardless of how long it took to repair the bike.

4. At the age of 12 I became interested in dirt bikes and wanted to race them after riding a friends. My family couldn’t afford to buy one for me; we were dirt poor. Yet, somehow I found a job making $10.00 an hour with an independent fence builder…some of the hardest work I have ever done.

5. At 14 years old, I got my first corporate job at McDonalds a server/cleanup person. Along with several restaurant busboy and dishwasher jobs and, took shifts when available at deli counter in the local grocery store too, my food serving career was short lived.

6. Still in high school I had two jobs simultaneously, stocking and delivering furniture at night and, shipping, receiving and stocking marine accessories and parts during the Spring and Summer.

7. Before I started my education, I began working as a ground hand or grunt constructing cable TV wires in New York, then Texas, Florida, Georgia and finally, So. Cal.

Ha, all-in-all, an indicator of a great work ethic but, not even close to having a publishing/high-tech entrepreneur 30 year career.

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Making A Difference – Thoughts, Observations and Opinions

This is Dave Brock's Blog. It offers my views on a variety of business, sales, marketing, and leadership topic. My goal is to make a difference for you, the reader, in both your professional and personal lives.

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